PARTI Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) has urged GPS parties to kickstart their ground polls machineries to face the coming Sarawak election.
Its vice-president Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee said GPS component leaders cannot take anything for granted and be too relaxed.
PBB is a component party of Gabungan Parti Sarawak along with Parti Rakyat Sarawak, Sarawak United Peoples Party and Progressive Democratic Party.
Speaking at a gathering in Sibu town, Dr Annuar the next one year was crucial for the party to be ready for the next Sarawak elections.
"Don't think that one year is a long time and that GPS is in such a strong position that we can still relax.
"We must start our ground preparations now and not take anything for granted," he said.
He also cited a Malay proverb: “air yang tenang jangan disangka tiada buaya” (still water runs deep), implying that complacency is dangerous, and sometimes the threat comes from within the party itself.
“I hope PDP members, as well as all other component party members, understand that we have no other option but to work together to win the next election,” he stressed.
Dr Annuar, who is also the Nangka assemblyman, pledged his full support to any GPS component party contesting in the election.
The Women’s Wing of PBB (PBB Wanita) has already formed four election bureaus to handle polls preparations in Sarawak.
The wing has set up the PBB Wanita Election Bureau for Southern Sarawak, Election Bureau for Betong (between southern Sarawak and central Sarawak), Election Bureau for Central Sarawak and Election Bureau for Northern Sarawak.
The wing established this during a recent PBB Wanita central committee meeting in Kuching chaired by PBB Wanita chief Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah.
The next state elections is due in middle 2026.
"The automatic registration of any citizens above 18 as new voters is already in effect.
"We need to gather as much information about them and their locations now.
"We must start reaching out to them and create awareness of what GPS is struggling for," she said during the meeting.
Fatimah, who is State Minister for Women, Family and Community Welfare, said PBB Wanita wants to recruit as many new young women voters as its members
"We need to strengthen our grassroot in all constituencies.
"Increasing our membership is one of the key targets," she said.
PBB is the backbone component party of GPS.
Sarawak presently have 82 state and 31 parliamentary constituencies.
However, the Election Commission is undertaking a redelineation exercise now for the state and parliamentary constituencies.
It is said that up to 10 new parliamentary seats could be created plus at least 20 new state seats before the next state polls and next national elections. – May 18, 2025
